The ancient Greeks didn't see sex the way we do today. Take a look at the myths, the history, the works of art of that time, you understand, you don't need anything more. They were much more open-minded and had some practices and habits, which even today when we think we have seen it all, may sound strange.
Here are six of these commonly accepted habits:
Prostitution was subsidized by the state
It may be hard today to imagine prime ministerial candidates arguing over how much the state should spend on prostitution, but in ancient Greece, prostitution was legal and in some cases state-run.
In fact, the one who regulated the prices in the state brothels he was none other than the great legislator, Solon.
These brothels had both women and men as sex workers, with the latter serving mainly older men. These shops offered much cheaper services than those offered by prostitutes on the streets, who often wore sandals that left behind a footprint on the ground that read "follow me."
However, the wealthiest citizens had at their disposal some additional services in the public almshouse. These patrons could sign a contract with one of those mistresses, who specialized in pleasing men both physically and with their superior spirit.
Solon would appropriate the tax revenue that Athens would earn from these public brothels in order to build a temple to—who else—Aphrodite.
Adultery was much worse than rape
Bearing in mind how open-minded the ancient Greeks were about sex, this strictness around marital infidelity might seem a little strange. In fact, seducing another man's wife was considered worse than rape. The reason for this was due to the general belief that women were man's "property" and therefore adultery was a form of theft.
And rape was also considered immoral, but if the woman was unmarried it was not considered such a serious crime. Just think how common sexual assault was in Greek mythology with many gods deceiving women - at best - in order to bed them
According to Herodotus, the act of adultery "required" the man to take revenge, while rape did not. A man who caught another man with his wife could inflict any punishment on him - from public humiliation to death.
Kissing a woman was considered strange
For some reason and under certain circumstances, kissing your wife was something unacceptable in ancient Greece. First let's say that kissing as a form of greeting was completely normal, even when greeting those you had just met. Many men greeted their acquaintances with a kiss on the hand, cheek or even on the lips before important business meetings.
However, kissing your wife in public, such a common practice nowadays, could then even be considered a sign of weakness for a man. For example Pericles was criticized for kissing his wife on the lips too often in public.
This strange prejudice against the kiss is only explained if one understands what exactly it meant in those years:it meant equality between the two parties, and since women in most Greek city-states were not equal to men, they could not “ kiss as equals".
This habit of Pericles also gave the impression that he himself could be put under the control of his wife, a fact that was also unacceptable for the prejudices of the time - but also sexist, as it came from the model of the woman-planetary who transformed the man of her in subjection through her beauty, as we have seen in many Greek myths.
Public masturbation made an impression (but not that much)
The general belief today is that masturbation is best enjoyed in the privacy of one's own home. In ancient Greece, however, public masturbation, although it was frowned upon, would not send you to prison under any charge.
For example, this "habit" was also used by Diogenes in order to challenge authority. Diogenes, founder of Cynic philosophy, he lived in a jar and for this reason many of his critics called him a "dog".
When, therefore, one day someone rebuked him for his habit of "relieving himself" in public, Diogenes replied:"I wish it were so easy to soothe your hunger by rubbing an empty stomach."
In Aristophanes' Lysistrata, the ancient comedy in which women deny men sex in order to stop the Athenian-Spartan war, the Spartans are mocked for their enthusiastic preoccupation with self-pleasure. It is indeed very fitting that the peace talks begin with the appearance of a Spartan preacher whose erection stood out, showing that even in Sparta they had suffered from the "strike" of their own women.
They painted penises literally everywhere
There is no man who does not know about the dominance of the naked in ancient statues and the pride the ancients had in their art. But statues were not the only means of expression that the Greeks would use to show phalluses to the rest of the world. Artists depicted penises everywhere, literally everywhere, from public artwork to wine glasses. It seems that as they would be drinking lying on couches during some banquet, they would find these images funny.
A vase has even been found that depicted a woman tending a field full of penises. They had a sense of humor, that must be admitted.
They gambled wildly
As we saw above - and as we know very well anyway - the Greeks loved their wine. The banquet was an important part of ancient Greek culture.
Somewhere between 14 and 27 men were gathering in one room, they lay on couches with cushions and a temporary intellectual forum of discussion was born. There are many famous works of literature that depict these complex philosophical debates, with Plato's Symposium naturally holding the top spot.
In fact, the banquet could become much less "civilized" than its depiction in literature. It could just be the prelude to a crazy drunken party, with copious amounts of alcohol flowing, drinking games and songs.
It was not unusual to hire musicians and other entertainers for the banquet, who very often ended up doing sexual favors for the guests as well.
Although women were generally not allowed at the banquet, high-paid prostitutes were sometimes hired for the sake of the guests.